Baltimore Washington Eye Center, Maryland

Monday, November 4, 2013

Arturo Betancourt, M.D., Medical Director &
Ophthalmologist at Baltimore Washington Eye Center reviewed information about diabetic
eye disease and diabetic
eye problems as Prevent
Blindness America has designated November as National Diabetic
Eye Disease Awareness Month. “What we know from the most recent Prevent
Blindness America Vision Problems in the U.S. report is that diabetes
is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, diabetes affects 25.8 million
people in the United States. Although there is no cure for diabetic eye
disease, annual eye exams for diabetes patients are essential to help slow the
progression of the disease,” said Dr. Betancourt.

The Prevent Blindness America Vision Problems in
the U.S. identified that there are almost 8 million people ages 40
and older who have diabetic retinopathy. This represents an 89 percent increase
between the years 2000-2012. “While it is not surprising that the incidence of
some eye diseases and problems is increasing with the aging of the baby boomer
population, it is terribly disturbing to see the dramatic spike in diabetic
retinopathy cases, a consequence of the diabetes epidemic that this country is
experiencing with no end in sight,” Dr. Betancourt explained.

The vision loss from diabetic retinopathy can be prevented
if it's caught early and treated in time. More than one third of those
diagnosed with diabetes do not adhere to vision care guidelines recommending a
dilated eye exam every year. As part of Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month we
are urging people with diabetes to have a dilated eye exam every year. The
longer a person has diabetes, the greater his or her risk for developing
diabetic retinopathy. However, diabetic retinopathy does not only affect people
who have had diabetes for many years, it can also appear within the first year
or two after the onset of the disease.

“Blood sugar levels can weaken blood vessels causing them
to break down which causes swelling, hemorrhages and lipid deposits that can
ultimately lead to vision loss. More ominous is the effect of the blood vessel
breakdown and oxygen deprivation in promoting fragile new blood vessel growth
that can easily break resulting in vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment and catastrophic
vision loss,” further explained Dr. Betancourt.

In addition to having regular eye examinations and testing
at the direction of your eye doctor, patients can help to reduce the risk of
developing diabetic eye disease by not
smoking, controlling their cholesterol and lipid profile and blood pressure, as
well as working to eat a heart-healthy diet rich in fish, fruit and green leafy
vegetables and exercising.

If
you or someone you know has diabetes or even elevated blood sugar levels they
should work to prevent diabetic eye disease and problems with regular eye exams
by contacting Baltimore Washington Eye
Center by calling 800-495-3937, visiting Baltimore
Washington Eye Center or facebook.com/baltimorewashingtoneyecenter, so that
we can help identify the possible causes and recommend an appropriate treatment
plan.